20 Under 40: Charlie Conron

Meet Charlie Conron, 38, founder and president of Life Design Analysis, and one of our 20 Under 40 Class of 2023 recipients

IN 2014, CHARLIE Conron founded Life Design Analysis, a cloud-based sales and productivity software platform for insurance carriers, distributors and advisors. As one of Canada’s fastest growing insur-tech companies, he has grown the business significantly year over year, and thousands of advisors and firms use the platform to achieve increased productivity, revenue and compliance.

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What would you call your biggest achievement in business?

I’m proud to say that the team I’ve helped build at Life Design Analysis has achieved an incredible feat. We took a simple idea from an Excel macro and transformed it into a thriving company that now serves over 12,000 advisors, banks and insurance companies. We collaborated to turn our vision into a reality, and along the way we overcame countless obstacles, from developing the product to marketing and expanding our customer base. But through it all, we remained committed to our mission of delivering exceptional service and value to our clients.

Who, or what, was your biggest influence?

My stepfather Larry Kinlin, who taught me everything about the insurance industry and helped found the company with me.

What about your biggest obstacle?

I think the biggest obstacle to overcome is the perception of just being a small startup from London, Ontario versus an industry-leading platform. Sometimes it feels like if you are not from Silicon Valley with big VC dollars, you are not even considered.

What’s left for you to do — professionally, or personally?

Professionally, our company is undertaking a big transformation, and growing our talent is our number-one priority. Personally, I think there is always something to tackle. I have two girls — 13 and 10 — so they are always keeping me on my toes.

Best show you’ve seen this year?

Still Arrested Development.

And finally, what’s your guilty pleasure?

Doughnuts. Interview by Kieran Delamont